Going Home
by Izzi Creo
Summary: Post Movie; Whilst retuning home Gabrielle Marlee thinks back to the events that led to her leaving in the first place. Gabrielle/Jeff Marlee/Nick COMPLETE


**Yay, my request was accepted.  
Hopefully there are other writers out there who also  
love this film and would like to share their fics :)**

**I don't know whether I'll get **_**any **_**reviews for this, seeing as it's the first one and people may never choose to stumble into this fandom but at least I tried :)**

**In case anyone forgot; Jeff Kerr is Nick Easter's real name and Gabrielle Brandt is Marlee's real name :)**

**Title: Going Home  
Author: Evelyn Carnahan  
Rating: T (One use of language.)  
Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Post Movie; Whilst retuning home Gabrielle (Marlee) thinks back to the events that led to her leaving in the first place. Gabrielle/Jeff (Marlee/Nick)**

_DI. Samantha Hunter_

"**Going Home"**

The sun was beating down on the highway as the car slid down Interstate Highway 65, away from Indianapolis and towards Gardener, the hometown of Jeff Kerr and Gabrielle Brandt, the windows were rolled fully down and the radio was on full blast in an attempt to ease the tension within the car. Jeff was sat in the driving seat and tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel as they waited in traffic congestion whilst Gabrielle sat in the passenger seat and looked out upon the highway and the cars speeding in the other direction; she wished she was going that way too.

She turned when she felt a hand gently squeezing her shoulder and met Jeff's concerned yet comforting gaze, she smiled back at him, unable to form coherent words. Satisfied with her smile, Jeff turned back to the wheel as the traffic in front began to move however Gabriele let the smile slide off of her face, she felt silly really, it had been her idea in the first place to go home once the trial against the gun company had been won but now she felt sick with nerves.

Gabrielle could still relive the day she had left Gardener and never returned.

It was a Monday, dark and threatening storm clouds were overhead, and they reflected her mood well. She was filled with anger, hatred and pain as she ran out of her house in Gardener, hot tears streaked down her porcelain face as her feet pounded on the ground and her breath left her in sharp gasps. She heard the porch door swing open behind her and her mother call to her, begging her to return but she just kept running. She couldn't go back.

She ran through the streets of Gardener, blind to everything around her, blind to even the direction she was going in. Eventually, she stopped on the sidewalk, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, her right side was on fire and burned painfully each time she inhaled and exhaled. Her legs, weak from running, trembled as she straightened up and made her way into a children's park, there were the usual play equipment and she rested on a swing which creaked each time the iron chain moved but she wasn't listening, nor paying attention. On a murky day like today there weren't any children around and Gabrielle was glad, the last thing she wanted to see was happy, smiling faces.

Now that she'd stopped moving, everyone that had happened back at her home came rushing back. Echoes of her mom's words seem to ricochet around Gabrielle and tears stung her eyes once again; "Why weren't you there, Gabby? Why weren't you outside the school when that lunatic open fired? Why weren't you there to save your sister?"

Gabrielle bowed her head and began sobbing again, whispering to herself; "I'm so sorry Marlee, I'm so sorry."

A few months ago a boy from the school Gabrielle and her non-identical twin sister, Marlee, attended purchased a gun from off the streets and had entered the gates one morning before open firing, he'd killed so many people, Gabrielle's sister included. Gabrielle shut her eyes and felt as though she was plunged forcefully back into the past; she'd left her boyfriend Jeff talking with Marlee in the yard and walked into the building so she could pay for a trip organised for the course she was taking with Jeff. After signing a few documents and smiling at the receptionist she heard gun shots ring out followed by screams, and a cold dread seemed to sweep down her. She feared the worst and somehow, she knew what had already happened. As children, she and Marlee had always joked about having a bond like a sixth sense but at that moment in time she could swear it was, for once, true. Running as fast as she could, she made it out on to the yard and multiple casualties hit her all at once, there were so many injured people but worse were the ones just lying on the floor, not screaming or crying. Gabrielle made her way through the crowds to where she'd last left Jeff and Marlee and – to her horror – they were both in the same spot, however now Marlee was lying on the ground in a pool of blood and Jeff was kneeling besides her shaking whilst people crowded around. Gabrielle reached her sisters side and dropped to her knees, crying.

"Marlee, Marlee? Oh please, don't be dead." Gabrielle attempted to shake the unmoving body of her sister but it was to no use, she looked up, tears running down her cheeks and Jeff met her gaze with tears stinging his own eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Jeff whispered. "I tried ... I really did try, I called out to her and tried to reach her to pull her down but couldn't. She just froze. By the time I got to her she was already hit."

"Where are they?" Gabrielle asked, her grief being replaced suddenly by anger. "Where's the bastard who did this? I'll kill them!"

As Gabrielle moved to leave and find them Jeff grabbed each of her arms and kept her still; "Gabby, _Gabby _listen to me. He's dead, he pulled the trigger on himself, he's gone." Jeff pulled Gabrielle into his arms and cradled her as she broke down into loud sobs once again.

As the town couldn't get justice on the man who had murdered so many of their youngsters they decided to sue the gun company for selling it on to unlicensed people so the murder finally got his hands on it, the town had a strong case and the families of the dead had rested their hopes on the case, knowing they would be compensated for their loss which, although it wouldn't bring the people back, it would make the families feel like the lives of the dead counted.

That morning, however, the watertight case which had so many peoples hopes resting upon it fell through when the gun company hired ruthless jury consultant Rankin Fitch who twisted the case so in the end, not only did the members of families who lost loved ones lose out on their compensation, but more importantly they had lost justice and after the trial the town had to pay great costs, leaving them bankrupt. Furious with the injustice performed, Gabrielle and Marlee's mother had lashed out at her remaining daughter. She claimed she was never as good as Marlee and made it clear that she blamed Gabrielle for not saving Marlee. When Gabrielle had asked whether her mother would have rather she died than Marlee the hesitation Gabrielle had witnessed was all she needed to convince herself to run from the house.

Gabrielle opened her eyes as a car horn beeped loudly from the street outside the park, she'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realised it was raining, nor that she was soaked through. The car beeped again and she peered through the rain to see it was Jeff's car; no doubt her mom had rung him and asked him to find her.

Slowly, she peeled her frozen and stiff body off of the swing before wrapping her arms around herself and walked slowly to her boyfriend's car. Without a word to him she opened the passenger seat door and got in, she didn't bother to strap herself in, just lent back into the old, moth eaten seat. Jeff would've told her to belt up but he didn't want to aggravate her when she was already so upset so left it, driving slower than he usually would have. Jeff drove around all the blocks, guessing Gabrielle didn't particularly want to go back home just yet and the silence stretched on until Jeff finally broke it;

"You must be cold," he stated. Gabrielle merely shrugged so he lent forward and turned the heater on full blast, adjusting a few flaps so hot air blew in her direction. "Your mom told me what she said; she also said she's sorry."

"I suppose you think I should go back and apologise for storming out. You always take her side." She accused bitterly.

"No, if you don't want to go back then you don't have to." Jeff replied. "But c'mon Gabby, talk to me about this. Please."

Gabrielle burst into tears again and Jeff immediately pulled over on to the side walk, once parked he unbuckled his seat belt and scooted closer so he could embrace her. Gabrielle turned her body so she was easier for him to get to and sobbed against his tee. "It's my fault," she whispered.

"No," he pulled back slightly.

"I shouldn't have gone inside; I should've stayed outside and saved her. Pulled her down or something, or maybe if I stayed outside then it would have been me rather than her." Gabrielle wasn't looking at Jeff now, she began talking faster, rambling in order to get it all out. "My mom wishes it were me, instead of Marlee. She wishes I were dead rather than Marlee. And I don't blame her, I wish I were dead too."

"No Gabby please, don't say that darling." Jeff hugged her close again as she sobbed.

"But it's what my own mom wants, if Marlee was here and I weren't then she'd be happy." Gabrielle said. "I ... I can't live around here no more, I'm gonna leave, I'm gonna have to."

"Gabrielle now c'mon, don't talk like that." Jeff tried to comfort her but she'd made her mind up.

"No Jeff, I mean it. I'm leaving this town, probably for good. I'm sorry Jeff, but I can't stay. If you take me home then I'll pack and I'll go, you won't have to ever see me again. You can move on and it'll be alright."

Jeff cupped her face in his hands. "Gabby, if you go then I go, alright? I love you. I'm not just going to walk away from this, from us. We'll both go, you and me."

Gabrielle could understand that he felt guilt like she did; he blamed himself for not reaching Marlee in time whilst Gabrielle felt guilt for not being there. Her voice was soft when she replied; "OK."

Jeff kissed her softly before he started the car again and they drove to Jeff's home where he packed a bag. Thankful his parents were out working, he left them a note explaining he would call soon and that he was safe with Gabby. Next, they went to Gabrielle's home, he stayed in the car whilst she went inside and ignored her mother's attempts to talk to her, as soon as reached her room, her mother close behind her, she began packing the things she needed.

"Gabby?" Her mother asked as her eyes widened in horror, taking in the sight of her one remaining daughter packing her belongings up.

"I'm going. Jeff and I are getting out of here." Gabrielle told her shortly, throwing things into a suitcase and zipping it up.

"Gabby please, I'm sorry for the things I said. I didn't mean them. I was just upset and angry, that's all. Please Gabby. Don't make me lose two daughters over this." Her mother pleaded as she folled Gabrielle, who dragged her suitcase down the stairs but to Gabrielle her mom's words were hollow.

When she reached the porch and opened it, the rain was falling harder than before so Jeff got out the car and ran up to the house. He took Gabrielle's suitcase and put it on the backseat with his before getting into the car.

She braced herself for the rain when her mother's voice paused her for a moment; "Gabrielle?" Her mother's eyes looked destroyed however gabrielle couldn't let herslef weaken, she needed to get away or else she was sure the grief she felt would destroy her in this place. She sighed too before leaving her final parting words;

"I'm sorry it was me who survived rather than Marlee too."

She didn't look back.

* * *

"Gabby, Gabs. Wake up." Jeff's face swam into view as Gabrielle opened her eyes. "Hey beautiful, you fell asleep."

"Oh," she yawned. "Are we here?"

"Yeah, we're here."

Gabrielle looked out of the window; they were parked outside her childhood home where she knew her mom still lived. Taking a deep breath she stepped out of the car and took a quick look around, the town – although family friendly – was still rather shabby following their bankruptcy. Gabrielle thought about the money they had in the trunk of Jeff's car following their 'business deal' with Fitch recently and smiled gently, she knew it would do some good.

Jeff shut his car door with a slight slam and Gabrielle walked around the side of the car until she was at Jeff's side, he slipped his hand into hers and they walked towards the familiar home. The porch door swung open and a plump, small woman with a red-haired bun and wearing a flowery, kitchen apron came rushing out, a look of ecstatic shock on her face.

"Gabrielle? Jeff?"

"Yeah mom, we're home."

* * *

**And that's it folks :)  
Well, I'll admit it weren't brilliant but I just wanted a nice little oneshot after watching the film and Gabrielle said; "Let's go home."**


End file.
